XXVII Berlin 14/I/1903

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XXVII
Berlin 14/I/1903


Dearest Nicky

These lines will be presented to you by my boy. My sisters generally call him "Billy No. 2" or "Little Willy[1] to discern him from his father. I place him under your kind protection and hope you will be satisfied with his manners; he is still very young and only beginning to form himself, so that should he make any "bèvues" you will kindly overlook them. Besides these lines he is the bearer of a number of Xmas presents for you which I was unable to send earlier. I/ a large Model of our new (H) class of battleships,[2] which you said at Reval would please you to accept. Schimmelmann is able at any moment to explain it to you. 2/ a watercoulour representing a history of the forms and coulourings of our regimental coulours and Standards since the time of the Great Elector down to my time. The first half is from the Elector to 1806, the second 1900.

3/ The whole of the uniforms, arms, cuirasse and accoutrements belonging to yout new Cuirassier Regiment,[3] which I hope will fit you. They are in charge of my old Kammerdiener you saw at Reval, "Father" Schultz. He is to instruct your "man" how to put on the different things.

4/ Some brochures and Magazines which I thought might perhaps interest you in your hours of leisure.

With respect to the coulours of our army I have a request to make to you. On the first (Electoral Table) there are the first coulours which belonged to the Regiment of Guards of the First King given after his coronation as Frederick I. Blue with gold flames, crowns and eagles, and white with black Eagle and gold crowns. These colours have been kept in our Arsenal until in the 7 Years War they were carried off from there by the Russian troops that occupied Berlin, with many other things out of the Arsenal. We are now with great care and difficulty rewriting the history of our colours and I would be so thankful if you kindly would allow them to be copied in aquarell or oil so that we may be able to have an authentic likeness of them as they are in Petersburg. Trusting that all will come off well and enveying my boy the pleasure of seeing you

I remain
Ever your most aff-ate friend and cousin
"Billy" No. 1

Notes

  1. The Kaiser was generally called by his brothers and sisters "big brother." The Crown Prince arrived in Petrograd on January I6th, and left on January 24th, 1903.
  2. The "Braunschweig." It carried four II-inch guns, displaced 12,997 tons and had a speed of 18 knots.
  3. The "Nicholas II. Emperor of Russia" 8th Regiment of Cuirassiere of the Guard.

Return to 'Willy-Nicky' Letters XXI - XXVIII (22 August 1901 - 30 October 1904)